A Little Strength Left
by QueenHimiko
Summary: Lina and Gourry deal with their fears anxieties that grow with along with the size of their family. Sequel to Slayers EXPECTING and Slayers RUGRATS, though RUGRATS really isn't needed to follow the events. Thanks to pharoah999 for betaing! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I do not own Slayers. Fic title is from "This Women's Work" by Kate Bush.**

Gourry cursed as Lina shot up out of bed faster than he could. He would have sworn that his instincts were better than hers on everything but one, responding to Lucia when she cried out. Even after staying up half of the night puking her guts out she still got up. And Gourry wanted her to rest. "I'll get her." He called out uselessly.

But Lina had already made it to Lucia's bedroom. She moaned, "Not again!"

Lucia got out of her soaking bed and ran to her as Lina shouted, "I thought we had this potty training thing down! Why can't you make it through the night anymore? How hard can it be…?"

Lucia stopped in her tracks and cried even louder as Lina continued her tirade. Gourry joined them, and Lucia instantly ran to him. He picked her up, causing Lina's rant to lose steam as she watched them. "It's okay, sweetie." Gourry said, "Everyone has accidents. Let's get you cleaned up."

Lucia looked at her mother reproachfully as she cuddled close to her father. Lina's mouth opened and shut a few times as the feeling reasserted itself once again that she just wasn't cut out for this nurturing motherhood stuff. And while she was used to Gourry being better at her at some things in life, namely and exclusively sword fighting, it galled that this one thing that should come so naturally to her came more easily to him. Usually it didn't bother her. But as Lucia got bigger her irritation with it grew.

"I'll go and get a bath ready." She said quietly as Gourry stripped Lucia out of her wet clothes.

"You need to relax and get some rest." He said evenly.

"How am I going to do that when as soon as I fall asleep you'll be leaving for work?"

"Your parents don't mind watching her." He pointed out as they made their way to the bathroom.

"I don't want my parents thinking we're over our heads!" Lina protested as another wave of nausea rose within her, making her wonder why she was even fighting the idea.

Lina started pumping water into the small wooden tub as Gourry set Lucia down in it. "I'm worried about you. You seem sicker this time around, and you're also busy caring for Lucia that you don't have as much time as you need to rest. I'd feel a lot better knowing that…"

"Is that it, or are you just worried that I'm going to snap and hurt Lucia while you're gone?" she spat harshly.

His eyes narrowed as he got a washcloth out, "You know, it's been awhile since I've taken her to work. Get some rest, Lina. You'll thank me once you've had a break."

She opened her mouth to say something, and changed course to lean her head over a bucket as she dry heaved. There simply was nothing left to come up. She sank to the floor and propped herself up against the wall and tried not to feel guilty over just how much the sounds of Lucia splashing in the bath was aggravating her.

Gourry knelt down beside her, keeping a close eye on Lucia as she played with her bath toys, "What would you do if I was you and you were me?"

She felt like crying. She could not remember the last time she had slept for more than three hours at a stretch. The morning sickness was even worse this time, something she had not thought possible. Her hormones were raging. And underlining it all was this feeling of danger. Not from an external threat like a monster or demon, but that something was dangerous about the pregnancy itself.

Lina took a deep breath. May be what she needed was some time to relax. It could help with the hormones and the nebulous feeling. "Fine. You win. Have fun watching her while you work." She said grumpily as she got up and made her way to the bedroom.

Gourry breathed a sigh of relief as he grabbed Lucia from the tub and wrapped her in a towel. "Let's get you dressed." He said as they walked to her bedroom and he pulled out some clothes.

Lina was surprisingly good at dressing her up and kept her dresser stuffed with cute outfits. Gourry was lacking in that particular department. He grabbed a tunic and a pinafore and hoped they matched as he let Lucia brush her own hair. He sat her down to play with her blocks so that he could make breakfast and he wondered if he should take her with him today or risk Lina's ire by dropping her with her parents.

The truth of the matter was that it was a bad time for him to take her up with him. He was training his students hard for an upcoming championship and he just didn't have the time to see that she was occupied and see that they were adequately prepared. And her parents were always eager to help. It was the ribbing that Lina got from her sister that put her off using it more than anything.

"Breakfast!" Gourry called as he sat down a plate for Lucia on the table, and proving herself to truly be their daughter she went running to her chair.

He grabbed his own plate and figured that what Lina didn't know wouldn't hurt her. And hopefully after a day's rest she would be in a better frame of mind to handle it even if she did find out. So after breakfast was finished, Lucia wiped down, and the plates washed and put away he set off with her to their store.

Mrs. Inverse was sweeping out the shop when they came into view. She smiled widely when she saw them and waved. "What do we owe this visit to?" she asked.

"Lina's not feeling well today. Would you mind watching Lucia?"

"Not at all." Mrs. Inverse said as Lucia went running into her arms. "Minding Lucia while running a store is much easier than minding Lina." She frowned, "I must say that Lina must be feeling poorly if she allowed you to dress her. Plaid over blue and orange polka dots?"

Gourry grinned sheepishly, "So they don't match?"

"They clash horribly." Luna said. "So, here to score some free babysitting I see."

"We can pay if it's an issue of money." Gourry said.

"Ignore her." Mrs. Inverse said, "What's wrong with Lina?"

"She can't hold anything down."

"Has she been drinking the ginger tea?"

"It keeps coming back up!"

"That's strange. Well, has she been to a healer?"

Gourry nodded, "She said it was just some rather bad morning sickness."

"Well, I certainly don't mind watching this little one while she gets her strength back. Go on to work and don't worry about us!"

* * *

Lina did not sit up when she woke. Not at first. She slowly grabbed some crackers by her bed and ate them, relief sweeping through her when they made no sign of coming back up. Getting some rest had helped. She was still tired, but not mind numbingly so. And she felt more sane and rational. Even if she still could not shake the feeling that there was something dangerous about the pregnancy!

She bit her lip and told herself for the umpteenth time that she was being foolish. It battled with the conviction that she needed to go to Seyruun. As soon as she thought of Seyruun the dangerous feeling subsided. She sighed and shook her head, glancing at the clock. Gourry should be getting off work soon, and she wanted to surprise him by having dinner made.

She slowly got up, doing her best to ignore the nausea churning in her stomach. She dressed and headed to the kitchen with plans on making a simple soup and bread, only to find that they were out of bread. With a sigh she headed out to make a quick run to the bakery.

It was actually nice to go outside and get some fresh air. She found that she could almost forget about the nausea as she walked. The nebulous feeling was another matter. It pricked at her like a burr in a sock, and despite her best efforts it proved impossible to shake. As she left the residential part of town and made her way to the merchant's quarter she wondered if it was genuine intuition or just a part of herself looking for an excuse to travel. For two years she had stayed put in one place, something she had not done since she was a child. And someone with her sense of wanderlust was bound to get antsy. But traveling with a child so young did not seem like a good idea. So they stayed put.

Was her mind just fabricating a reason to visit Seyruun? Or was there some genuine trouble brewing ahead? She shook her head in exasperation as she came upon the bakery, right across the street from her parents' store. She did a double take when she saw her daughter looking out the window, hands pressed to the glass with a wide grin plastered across her face, dressed in a nightmarish combination that only Gourry could have picked out.

Lina groaned as she changed course and stormed into her parents' store, ready to raise some hell. "Mommy!" Lucia cried as she clung to her leg.

Lina's tirade lost its steam before it even began. After yelling at her this morning it felt good to know that all was forgiven. And she didn't want to upset it by launching into another tirade. As she knelt down to kiss her on the cheek she asked, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"She's helping." Lina's mother said, "For some reason having a cute kid in the store helps bring in the revenue."

"But Gourry said he would take her with him to day." Lina replied, a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Looks like he changed his mind. What's the big deal anyway?"

Lina scowled as Lucia grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the door. "I just don't like having her come home full of sugar and waking up in the dead of night with a belly ache."

"Lina," her mother said as she put a hand on her shoulder, "Why don't you sit down and tell me what's really bothering you?"

Lina's anger flared. While it would be nice to tell someone about the feeling, the last thing she wanted was to be dismissed as a crazy pregnant lady. "I just haven't been sleeping well. See you for dinner tomorrow."

* * *

"How much trouble am I in?" Gourry asked as he stepped through the door. It was quite the unpleasant surprise to find that Lina had already picked Lucia up when he got to her parents'.

"Daddy!" Lucia shrieked as she went running to him.

"For dropping her off with my folks?" Lina asked as she spooned some stew into a bowl, "Or for thinking that plaid and polka dots match?"

Gourry picked his daughter up, "You wouldn't fireball a man holding Lucia, would you?"

"Man up and eat your dinner." She said, "And then you'd better get comfy on the couch, because you'll be spending the night there."

Deciding that a night on the couch was worth it if she got the rest she needed he approached the dining room table, "Smells good." He said as he took a chance and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

She put the bowls on a tray and made the short trip to the table. "Eat up." She said as she sat it down.

"What did you do today, Lucia?" Gourry asked as she climbed into her chair.

"I helped Gramma and Grampa make lots of money!" she explained as she grabbed some bread and bit into it.

Lina stared at her food as she worked to gather the nerve to try to eat it. She'd not thrown up once since waking from her nap, and she wanted to keep that up for as long as possible. At the same time, she needed sustenance. "And how was Mommy's day?" Gourry asked her.

"I slept." Lina said.

"Feeling better?"

Lina took a chance and had a bit of bread. "Maybe."

He smiled, figuring that was a close to a "yes" as he would get. "Gourry." She said. "I want to go to Seyruun."

He dropped his spoon into his stew. "Huh?"

"You heard me!" she said, "I want to go to Seyruun."

"Now?" he asked as he fished his spoon out.

"As soon as the morning sickness goes away."

"But this is sudden." He said, "And I thought we weren't going to do that until Lucia was older."

"Well, I said that a year ago and she's older now. Come on, Gourry, she's good on our walks. Surely she can handle a trip to Seyruun."

Gourry looked at her quizzically. "But why do you want to go to Seyruun all of the sudden?"

Lina floundered. The last thing she wanted was to tell him about her nebulous feeling. He would likely freak out and would be even less inclined to go in case something bad happened on the road. "Well, Sylphiel has had another baby that we haven't even met! And when we left Seyruun Benny was still adjusting, and Amelia says that he's doing great now. And I want Lucia to play with all of their kids, you know, have the children of our friends be her friends."

Gourry slurped as he ate his dinner, "And what's the real reason?"

Damn! Lina hated how someone so dense could read her like a book. She abruptly changed tactics, "Look, I don't like the midwife here." She said, "Sylphiel was amazing, I mean, I guess it wasn't like we were ever in any danger, but that was a long delivery. And she got us through. I'd just feel better knowing that she'll be there this time, too."

"Well, why didn't you just say that from the beginning?" he asked, his mouth full of bread. "I've got the championship next month, but after that we can leave if you really want to."

Lina was alarmed at how big of a weight hearing that seemed to take from her shoulders. "I do." She said quietly before tentatively trying the stew as Lucia banged at the table with her spoon. They finished dinner in silence. As they were clearing away the dinner dishes Lina put a hand on his arm, "You don't have to stay on the couch tonight if you don't want to."

* * *

It was wonderful to be back on the road again. Sure, they had to move more slowly than they were used to to accommodate Lucia. She was a little trooper, alternating between walking on her own and being carried on Gourry's shoulders. She loved looking at the trees and plant life and identifying the animals they ran across, splashing in every mud puddle she could find.

And there were many to be found. The season was unusually rainy and their trip was further delayed as they spent many a day trapped in a tiny room in a ratty inn with an active two and a half year old. Those were the harder days. Still, as a sorceress Lina could always put on an impromptu light show for her, which Lucia found just as delightful as chasing bunnies.

"Lighting!" Lina called as she sat on the edge of the bed while Gourry went through their supplies. Lucia shrieked with laughter as she clapped her hands.

"I want to!" she said.

"It takes a lot of practice, sweetie. Maybe when you're older." Lina said as she sent the orb of light high to the ceiling.

"Please!" Lucia insisted.

Lina looked outside at the pouring rain. Surely teaching her the basics wouldn't hurt. And it wasn't like there was anything else to do. "Fine. Sit on the bed." She said as Lucia did as asked and then spent the next hour focused on learning the chant. Lina was impressed that it held her attention as long as it did, but not too surprised when she decided to pick up her doll and play with it without having generated a light spell of her own.

Lina leaned back on the bed and put her hands on her stomach, closing her eyes as it felt like the little one within was practicing sword fighting. "This one is ten times more active than she ever was!"

Gourry put a hand on her stomach, "I still can't feel it."

"Hmm." She said, "Give it another week or so. I'm actually surprised you can't feel it! It seems as though he's going to kick a hole through my stomach!"

"He?" Gourry asked.

Lina thought for a moment, "Right now it feels like a he. I'm still not one hundred percent."

Gourry smiled as Lina ran her hand along her stomach. Traveling had done wonders for her mood. She might not be the most level headed mother in the world, but sharing a love of travel with her daughter was special. And it warmed her heart to see Lucia take an interest in learning magic. May be she wasn't the most nurturing person but she had plenty of other things she could offer her.

The only bad thing was that she still could not shake the feeling that there was something dangerous about the pregnancy. What made it more troubling was that if it was a lark so that she had an excuse to travel, then it would stand to reason that by traveling the feeling would have abated. Instead it seemed to grow stronger. She took a deep breath and focused on the sound of the rain hitting the roof, relieved when Gourry suggested that they go down to have dinner and she could focus her attention on something else.

* * *

"She does love running." Gourry commented affectionately as he watched Lucia run through a field carpeted with daisies, blue blossoms and lavender.

Lina nodded in agreement but said nothing. There was something about the moment that she wanted to pin down and keep with her forever. Watching Lucia run for the sheer joy of running was strangely liberating. When she watched her she could recall a time when she wasn't concerned about family, health or finances. She could just enjoy living without the worries that came with it.

"You've been so quiet lately. Is everything okay?" he asked as he put a hand on her shoulder.

Lina bit her lip as she wondered if it was the right time to tell him. Now that they were halfway to Seyruun it wasn't as if he could insist on turning around and going back to Zeferia. And it would be nice to tell someone else! Especially as the feeling was growing stronger. Gingerly she put a hand to her stomach and took a deep breath, "You know my women's intuition?"

He frowned, not sure where she was going with this. "You've mentioned it."

"You know how I knew that Lucia was a girl before she was born." Lina continued.

"Yes."

"Well, it's been talking to me, but I can't figure out what it's trying to tell me." She said, alarm growing within her as she realized she had to be making little sense. "It's…I can't describe it really. It's not that something is wrong, but it's not right either."

"Huh?"

"Something has been telling me that if we don't make it to Seyruun then this child will be in danger."

Gourry sat a little straighter, "What?"

"It's silly, I know." Lina said, "But something is dangerous."

"What do you mean…" he was cut off as Lucia ran to them, threw a bundle of flowers on them, laughed mischievously and ran off. They looked at each other stunned for a moment before he continued, "What do you mean, dangerous?"

"I don't know." Lina said, "I told you, it's very vague, like a whisper that keeps you up at night."

"Do you think that there is some threat to Zefiel City?"

"If there is, then it's nothing Sis can't handle." Lina said dryly. "But no, it feels like there's something dangerous about this pregnancy in and of itself. And that is what scares me."

His face dropped and he was silent for a few minutes before asking, "So why would being in Seyruun help? Is it even a good idea for you to be traveling right now?"

Lina smiled wryly as her conviction grew that it was a good thing she didn't say anything until they were well into their sojourn. "Seyruun is the White Magic Capital. If something goes wrong then there's no better place to be."

"So that's why after two years you suddenly decided that we'd best head back out there." He said.

"In a nutshell. Anyway," Lina said as she moved so she was kneeling and started to pack up the picnic supplies, "We're never going to get to Seyruun if we don't get back on the road."

Gourry nodded and then focused his attention on Lucia. "I'm going to get you!" he growled as he sprang up after her. Lucia shrieked with delight, though remained standing where she was. She liked the tickles she got when he would catch her.

By the time Lina had finished packing up, Lucia was secure on Gourry's shoulders and off they set back on the road. Gourry studied her quietly, and wondered if he had any additional worries to add to his list. He hadn't said anything to Lina because she'd been having a difficult time with this pregnancy as it was, but the matter of having more than one child was as welcoming as it was terrifying to him. While he desperately wanted a large family with many children mulling about, the fact remained that he only had one sword to bequeath. That had always been the problem in his family of origin, and the idea that the same tragedies could play out in the family he was building with Lina created a feeling of dread within him.

But now that worry, so far into the future, seemed silly to think about when there was one that was much more pressing. What if Lina's feeling turned out to be correct, and there was something dangerous about the pregnancy. He looked at her. Everything about this pregnancy had been more difficult. The morning sickness was worse and lasted longer. She seemed more tired and pale. She complained more about being uncomfortable. Was it because something was wrong? Was the baby in danger?

Was Lina?

He took a deep steadying breath. The sooner they got to Seyruun, the better. He glanced at the sky, unmarred by clouds. Hopefully that would hold throughout the week and they could get there without incident.


	2. Chapter 2

It was late in the afternoon when Lina, Gourry, and Lucia passed through the palace gates. Immediately there was a shriek, and Lina nearly felt herself tumbling over as glossy black hair filled her vision. "Miss Lina!" Amelia cried, "It's been so long!"

"Dammit, Amelia!" Lina snapped even though she hugged her back, "Careful with the pregnant lady, okay?"

"Lucia sure has gotten big!" Zel commented as ran up to greet them, a ball in his hands.

"Yes, well, she eats all of the time." Gourry said as he pulled her off his shoulders and put her on the ground. "Go play with the others."

Lucia clung shyly to Gourry's leg as she watched Benny play with Sylphiel's older children and Gracia's boys while Amelia said as she put a hand on Lina's belly, "She's not the only one getting big."

"Thanks." Lina said dryly. "Don't remind me. Anyway, where is Sylphiel?"

"She's in her apartment." Amelia said.

"Has she recovered her powers?"

"I don't know. She hasn't returned to work yet."

"Hmm. I need to see her right away."

"But Miss Lina, you just got in!" Amelia protested. "Don't you want to settle down and catch up?"

"Later. This is more important. We'll come down and talk when we're done."

Amelia and Zel exchanged a glance. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Lina smiled tiredly and grabbed Gourry's hand and set off for the entrance into the palace. Lucia screamed as she ran behind them, reaching her arms up as she did until Gourry picked her up. "I'll let you know when I know anything."

The three walked silently through the labyrinth of hallways and apartments that was the palace. Eventually they reached Sylphiel's apartments and knocked on the door.

"Miss Lina? Mister Gourry?" Sylphiel asked as she answered it, baby at her breast. "When did you get in?"

"Just now. Congrats on the newest one! And I need to talk to you." Lina said quickly.

"Come in." Sylphiel said, and the three travelers walked in and seated themselves on the sofa. Garrett looked up from playing with his blocks at the newcomers. "Hi!" he said as he waved.

"Hi!" Gourry said back as Lucia waved. He sat her on the floor, "Why don't you two play together?"

Lucia was having none of that. She ran to Gourry and climbed onto his lap as Sylphiel stared at Lina, "What's wrong?"

"Are your powers back?" Lina said in response.

Sylphiel nodded, "Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't know." Lina sighed, feeling unusually alarmist, "I don't even know if something is wrong. I just have this feeling that something isn't right either. I also have had this feeling that if I didn't get to Seyruun, something bad would happen to this child, that there's something dangerous about this pregnancy. It sounds so silly…"

Sylphiel nodded, "Not at all. Why don't you lie down? I'll check things out."

Lina went to the larger sofa and laid down on it while Sylphiel handed her youngest to Gourry. As he cuddled the newborn, Lucia attempted to take as much room on his lap as possible while shouting, "My daddy!"

Sylphiel laughed a little, "I'd say you'd best prepare yourself for some sibling rivalry."

Gourry paled a little as he wrapped a calming arm around Lucia while he nestled the infant in his other arm. Lina snapped, "Yes, that happens. Now stop gabbing and start the exam!"

Sylphiel knelt beside Lina and placed her hands on her abdomen. "How many weeks?"

"Twenty-two."

Sylphiel frowned, "Are you sure?"

"Pretty. Why?"

Sylphiel smiled as she put a hand on her shoulder, "You're bigger than what you would expect at twenty-two weeks."

"Meaning?"

"Either you miscalculated the days, or you could be having twins."

"I can't have twins!" Lina screamed.

"Is there any way to know for sure?" Gourry asked as Lucia studied the infant disdainfully.

"I'm going to listen for a heartbeat. Just a minute while I grab something." Sylphiel said as she stood up and went into her room.

"It's not twins!" Lina said as Gourry shrugged.

Sylphiel came back with a strange looking object and put the large, circular end on Lina's stomach and her ear to the small circle on the other end. Her face scrunched up in concentration for a minute before she smiled, "Two heart beats. It's twins."

"But taking care of one baby is so much work! How am I going to take care of two and a toddler at the same time?" Lina shouted.

"It will be hard." Sylphiel said as she sat down on the couch, "But I think you can handle it."

"Oh, brother!" Lina sighed as she sat up.

"Are they healthy?" Gourry asked as Sylphiel moved to pick up her youngest from him.

"Quite."

"Then why does Lina have those bad feelings?"

"Twin pregnancies are more risky, but I wouldn't worry too much. She's in the White Magic Capital now. If something does go wrong then there's no better spot for her to be in."

Gourry bit his lip as he held Lucia a little closer to him while Lina cradled her head with her hands. "That's not too comforting."

"Think of it this way. The midwives in Zefiel City can handle an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery well. But if anything goes wrong then the outcome could be tragic. But in Seyruun we have the means to provide care for things that they can't in Zefiel City. If she goes into labor early in Zefiel City, which happens a lot with twin pregnancies, then she could lose them. But here we can stop her from doing that. That's probably why she felt a need to come here."

Gourry thought about what she said as Lina asked, "So this means that there is going to be a complication."

Sylphiel patted her on the arm, "No. But if there is, then there's no better place for you to be."

* * *

"I don't know what to write to my folks back home." Lina said as she sat with Amelia in the palace gardens as they watched their husbands romp around with their children. "Hey Mom, hey Dad, we're here safely, but I'm having twins and there will be a complication. I can just imagine the freak out that would cause!"

"But you don't know for sure that there will be a complication." Amelia pointed out.

"I guess." Lina said, "But I feel it in my gut!"

"Hmm," Amelia said thoughtfully, "May be you should invite your mother down here closer to when the time comes so she can help you with Lucia."

"I guess." Lina said.

Suddenly her attention was focused on Gourry, who had just cried out. Then she grinned as she watched Lucia, who was on his shoulders, pull his hair and yell, "Giddy up pony!"

"Lucia, don't!" Gourry said as he tried to grab at her hands. She let go of his hair and put her hands over his eyes before lowering her head to smack the back of his with it. "Ow!" Gourry cried as she shrieked with laughter.

Lina laughed with her as Amelia smiled. "You go, Lucia! Slay that blond, lug-headed monster!" Lina called.

"Traitor!" Gourry yelled as he struggled to get Lucia off his shoulders. "You could help!"

Lina rested her hands on her belly as she fought to control her laughter. Zel walked up to them and said, "But this is so much more entertaining."

Gourry reached around and lifted Lucia off his shoulders, only to cry out again as her tiny hands got tangled in his hair and pulled at it. He swung around with her awkwardly as he struggled to find a way to put her down without ripping his hair out by the root. He flailed around awkwardly for a moment as Lina commented, "For someone who is such a nimble swordsman, this sure has you stumped."

"Lina…" he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Zel decided to give him a break and held the troublesome two year old steady so that Gourry could disentangle her from his hair. He heaved a sigh of relief as they finally separated and Zel sat her on the ground, "Go play with Benny!" he instructed as Gourry went and collapsed beside his wife, who was brushing tears of laughter from her eyes.

"That's it. I'm cutting my hair." Gourry said as Benny ran into Amelia's arms, nearly knocking her over as Lucia ran to Lina.

Lina kissed her on the crown of her head and said, "Oh Lucia. Always good for giving me a laugh when I need one."

"Are you really going to cut your hair, Mr. Gourry?" Amelia asked as she cuddled with Benny.

"Yes." Gourry said, his voice serious.

"Why do you wear it so long anyway?" Zel asked as he sat down beside Benny.

"Because that's how they wear it in Elmekia."

"Is that where you're from?" Amelia asked, "I had no idea. What is it like there?"

Gourry shrugged as he sat back up, "Don't remember."

"Huh?" Amelia said, and then she caught Lina's eye. "Oh. Well, they should be putting on dinner soon. Who's hungry?"

* * *

Lina sighed as she allowed herself to relax. After spending the past few weeks on the road and staying the nights in cramped inns with a toddler, it was so nice to have said toddler secured in a separate room and to enjoy a comfortable bed with Gourry. Of course, Lucia did not take to the strange room readily, but after a lot of singing, reading, and cajoling, she was finally asleep. Leaving her and Gourry to enjoy the first alone time together they had had for weeks.

"So, there's really two babies in here?" Gourry asked as he felt her stomach.

"May be." Lina said, "There's always the possibility that Sylphiel is wrong."

Gourry looked at her as she closed her eyes sagely. She looked so tired and worried and he wished that there was a way to make her feel better, to take the anxiety away. Eventually she sighed and pulled at her hair, "Who am I kidding? It being twins makes sense."

"Oh?" he asked.

"For one thing I could never pin down for sure if it was a boy or a girl. Sometimes it felt like a girl, other times a boy. But it couldn't be both." Lina explained as Gourry moved so that he could lie beside her while keeping his hand on her abdomen.

"But if you were having twins, one boy and one girl, then that would be why." He finished for her as she stroked his arm.

She nodded, "In a nutshell. Oh brother. What are we going to do? We're never going to get any sleep once they are born!"

"Let's not get too far ahead!" Gourry said, "They still won't be here for a while."

"I guess." She said, "Yeah, you're right. First I have to get through the rest of this pregnancy."

He said nothing but held her a little closer. "Do you still have your bad feeling?"

She was quiet for a minute before answering, "Now that we're here, it will be okay."

The unspoken words of _I hope_ hung awkwardly in the air.

* * *

He convulsed with fear and loss as his eyes shot open. Gone were the cold marble corridors he had known as a boy. Gone was the blood that stained them. As his eyes adjusted to the dark he could make out the comforting wood paneling, as clean and crisp as ever. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting his wife's shadow on the wall. He turned so he could hold her, taking comfort in the warmth that radiated, feeling relieved that she was alive and safe and that he had not waken her.

It was that recurring nightmare he had had since he was a child. It had been years since he'd dreamed about it. The sense of disquiet it had evoked clung to him as he breathed deeply and worked to will it away. Why, after all of these years, was the past returning to haunt him?

Lina turned so that she was on her back as she snarled, hitting him with her left hand as she did. After all of these years he was used to getting punched and hit as she slept. He lowered his hand to her stomach. Feeling the babies when she was pregnant was something he found comforting. He smiled a little as he felt them kick for the first time.

He started to wonder how on earth Lina could sleep with all of the activity going on in there as the reality that it was twins seemed to sink deep within his bones. There was no way one baby could account for all of that movement. He started to wonder if they were playing. And then his thoughts started to turn darker.

There was so much movement that it almost seemed as though they were warring with each other, competing for space in a tiny, cramped environment. The thirst for conquest of a limited number of resources. His squirmed as his sense of foreboding rose.

He sighed, and decided to give up sleep as a lost cause. He glanced at the clock. It was still two hours before he really had to be up but it certainly wouldn't hurt to use the extra time to go through his drills. He grabbed his sword, which he still kept on his nightstand, and quietly made his way to the living room. As he put it through the paces he felt himself calm down and relax as he wondered why he was letting the past hold such a grip on him when things were going so well. Warm sunlight was starting to stream through the curtains when he realized that he was being watched. He lowered his sword and ran a hand through his hair.

"Morning." He said.

"How long have you been up?" Lina asked as she stared at him from the entrance to their room.

"Awhile." He said as he walked towards her to kiss her cheek. He was a bit disgusted with himself when he realized that he did not want to put a hand on her swelling stomach to bid good morning to the twins. He forced his discomfort down as he reached down to pat her belly.

She was staring at him intently. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." He said. He didn't want to worry her with his stupid fears. She already had enough on her plate. "Do you want to go down for breakfast or have it sent up?"

She held his gaze for a moment, clearly not convinced that everything was okay. For the present at least she seemed to drop it. "Well, it has been a few years, and I'd like to join the others. There's a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

"Room for five more?" Gracia asked as she opened the door and noted the already cramped apartments.

Lina sighed as she let them in, "Sure, just make sure your boys clean up any mess that is made, okay?"

"Go play with the other children in the bedroom." Gracia instructed. Lina did not have to ask how Gracia knew where the other children were. As it was, Sylphiel's four oldest children, Benny and Lucia were in there sounding like a herd of elephants. Lina hated to think of what the room would look like when they finished, but for now it was enough that Lucia was being adequately entertained by someone who was not her.

Gracia sat down next to Amelia while Charles took a seat next to Zel. "So, you're here to see Mr. Gourry's new haircut as well?" Amelia asked.

Gracia nodded, "Well, it has been the talk of the castle all day."

"I'm surprised that such a little matter has garnered so much attention." Zel said as Lina nodded in agreement.

"Yes, even the king of Seyruun has deigned to pay me a visit to see my husband's new look." Lina said, and Phil knitted his eyebrows together as he worked to figure out how to take it.

"By the way Miss Lina." Amelia said, "Why doesn't Mr. Gourry like to talk about Elmekia?"

Lina glared at her as the room became silent. "What's this about Elmekia?" Gracia asked.

"Yesterday Mr. Gourry mentioned being from there but didn't want to talk about it." Amelia explained.

"And if he didn't want to talk about it last night, what makes you think he would want me talking about it with all of you?" Lina asked, her voice low.

"Oh." Amelia said, looking slightly chastened, "I guess you're right."

"It is strange." Sylphiel said, "I mean, no one from his family was at your wedding."

"Now that you've mentioned it," Zel said, "We never have met any of his family. And he never talks about himself."

"Well, he was a mercenary." Rick said.

"So?" Amelia asked.

"People with happy childhoods don't become mercenaries." He explained, "Mercenaries are always running from something."

"Now that you mention it, it is strange that he would be a mercenary. Most tend not to be very loyal to anything, but ever since he met Miss Lina he's demonstrated that he is remarkably loyal." Amelia said.

"It is an interesting contradiction." Zel said, "I wonder how much of it Lina can explain."

Lina felt her face grow red as his comment struck a nerve. While she had gotten bits and pieces of what happened from Gourry, she knew she did not have the full story. And while she knew it was because he simply did not like to think about it, it did gall that there was a big chunk of his history that she was in the dark about. "Listen well, because this is all I'm saying. While he was growing up his family feuded over who would possess the Sword of Light. And a lot of them killed each other over it. And he doesn't like talking about it because it's too painful for him."

"But then how did he end up with the sword?" Sylphiel asked.

Lina stared at the ground, feeling bad that Zel had goaded her into telling as much as she already had. "May be you should ask him that yourself."

As if on cue, the door opened and the topic of the conversation walked in, his golden hair as long as it ever was. His eyes widened in surprise when he found all of their friends packed into their living room. "Oh, hi guys. What are you doing here?"

"We all came to see if you were really going to cut your hair." Amelia explained, "But I guess you changed your mind."

Gourry stared straight ahead for a moment as the muffled sounds of the laughter of children rang from Lucia's room and then he smiled sheepishly, "Actually, I completely forgot I was even going to do that!"

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Gourry asked for the umpteenth time.

Lina worked hard to keep her smile from faltering, "Yes! Lucia and I will get in some extra girl time dressing each other up and doing our hair! So unless you want to don a frilly dress and a tiara, get out of here and enjoy yourself for a change!"

He stared at her hesitantly. While he did feel the need to have a night out, he would much rather have it with her and not Smithy. But he supposed that he should make an appearance. Part of being a royal guard meant that you had to go to parties to celebrate the life events of co-workers who were too dense to appreciate how lucky they were to have what they did in life.

"Don't put her to bed until I get back."

It took all of Lina's willpower not to roll her eyes. While she appreciated his dedication to his family, lately whatever it was that had been bothering him was getting worse. She knew he was having nightmares, but damned if she could get him to talk about it. She was hoping that an evening away would calm his nerves. "Go have fun!" she said.

He smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. He hoped Lina didn't notice his moment of hesitation when he put his hand to her belly. Something about feeling the twins move was still disconcerting. He grabbed Lucia and kissed her goodbye and headed out for the banquet hall where the party was. Smithy was a decent enough guard but Gourry thought his sense of priorities were skewed. Still, it wasn't every month that someone celebrated the upcoming arrival of their first child. That said, it was a relief when he walked into the hall and found that Zel, Rick and Charles had saved a seat for him.

No sooner did Gourry sit with them than had Smithy come up and put an arm around him as he asked, "Did you hear the news?"

Gourry winced at the smell of beer at his breath, "What news?"

"Davina is in labor!" he said.

Gourry frowned, "Shouldn't you be with her then?"

Smithy laughed as he put a hand on his arm, "Of course you would say something like that! The baby won't be here for a while. Might as well live it up now before I'm forever tied down!"

Annoyance washed through him. It was not the first time he had heard such a sentiment from another man. Usually he ignored it and changed the subject. If a man didn't want to be at the side of his wife during the birth of their child it was his loss. But for some reason tonight it was really bugging him. "Lina was in labor for days, and I stayed by her side the whole time."

Smithy laughed while Charles snorted. "Don't." Rick said to Charles warningly.

"Oh, Gourry." Smithy said, "You set that husband bar so high that the rest of us just can't compete!"

"You say that, but Rick, you stayed with Sylphiel during each of yours, didn't you?"

"Never crossed my mind to leave." Rick replied.

"See? It's the least we can do to stay there with them considering what they're going through."

"I don't know about Rick, but Gourry is too scared of what the Dragon Spooker would do to him should he miss the birth of their children."

Gourry sent Charles a cold look. "Didn't you stay with Gracia when she was in labor?"

"Yes, because I was scared of what would happen were I to leave! Never marry a sorceress, she'll turn you into a toad or something if you displease her!"

"Fortunately I don't have that problem." Smithy said.

"I've gotten Lina mad a lot. She hasn't turned me into a toad." Gourry said airily.

"That's because she hits when she gets mad." Charles said, "Really, I'm amazed that you leave her alone with Lucia with that temper of hers."

Gourry felt his face flush as his blood boiled as he said, "I trust Lina."

Smithy laughed as he said, "Trust her? Or fear what she would do if you ever tried to leave her?"

Gourry regarded him coldly as Zel said, "That's enough. There's a lot that keeps them together, but fear of her isn't one of those things."

Charles slumped forward as Smithy took another swig of ale, "Come on! Only someone who is completely whipped would have been able to last as long with the Enemy of All Who Lives as he has!"

In a flash Gourry was out of his seat, and in a second Smithy was reminded why Gourry was considered to be the best warrior in the land. A loud smacking sound reverberated through the banquet hall, causing the surrounding conversations to cease as everyone turned to see Smithy crumble to the floor. Gourry lowered his fist as he stared at Smithy disdainfully as the other man slowly picked himself up and looked at Gourry in dismay, wiping the blood from his nose if he did so.

"Your face looks rather banged up." Gourry commented, his voice low, "May be you should go to your wife. She should have a midwife there who can fix that up for you."

Zel covered his mouth with his hand as Charles and Rick openly laughed. "He got you good." Charles said.

"And by the way," Gourry continued, "If it wasn't for Lina, this kingdom, this world, wouldn't be here anymore. So before you go insulting my wife and the mother of my children, you'd better think about that."

Smithy grabbed a napkin and put it to his nose and made a hurried exit. Gourry took a deep breath and said before heading towards the door., "Guess the party is over."

"Gourry, wait!" Zel called as he ran after him and caught up to him in the hallway. "Don't pay too much attention to Charles at the moment. The situation in Solaria has been deteriorating, which means Gracia has been drinking a lot, which means they've been arguing a lot, which means that he has been drinking a lot. He'll regret everything in the morning. And Smithy just isn't worth it. You know that."

"They still didn't have to say those things." Gourry said.

"No," Zel agreed. "Do you want to take a walk?"

Gourry thought for a moment and then nodded. They were silent for a moment as they walked towards the courtyard. "I overheard Amelia and Lina talking yesterday. Lina's worried about you."

When Gourry didn't reply Zel continued, "She mentioned that you've been having nightmares." Gourry's eyes narrowed. So Lina had noticed. Before he could say anything Zel continued, "You know that there's no safer place for her to be in than Seyruun."

"It's not that." Gourry said, "Well, maybe it is. I can't explain it really. I'm actually surprised I've been acting the way I have. It's just a bad feeling. For a while I never thought I'd have a family. And Lina and Lucia are everything to me. I'm just scared that something will happen to them."

"But didn't Sylphiel say that the twins were healthy and everything looked good?" Zel asked, and Gourry nodded.

"Is there something else you're worried about?"

When Gourry did not answer Zel asked, "Have you talked to Lina about this?"

"No, it doesn't seem fair to bother her with it when she has enough on her plate. She's really scared right now herself, and she has better reasons to be."

"When is the last time you two had a night out? Just the two of you, without Lucia?" Zel asked.

"Not since we left Zefiria." Gourry said.

"Why don't you let Amelia and I watched her tomorrow? Let you two get out and have a talk."

* * *

"Well, it still puzzles me that Zel would suggest this, but I am glad he did!" Lina said as she dug into her food.

Gourry smiled. "I didn't know how badly we needed the break until we got it!"

It had been a pleasant afternoon spent at the horse races. And now they were catching an early dinner before going back to the palace. "I'm surprised you didn't realize you needed this. You're usually more aware of that stuff."

Gourry nodded as he took a bite from a drumstick. Lina continued, "In fact you've been acting strange lately. You've been having nightmares. Don't try to deny it."

"I won't." he said.

"So what gives?" she asked as she started to eat her spaghetti.

"I used to have nightmares, back before I met you. And lately a lot of the ones I used to have are starting again."

Lina continued to meet his gaze steadily as she slurped her spaghetti while he continued, "I've told you that there was a lot of bloodshed over owning the Sword of Light." Lina nodded. "Well, a lot of people I cared about died. In front of me, when I was very young. There were times when the fighting would stop, when it seemed as if everyone was getting along. Those were the good times, and each time I thought that surely everyone had learned their lesson, that a sword wasn't worth the cost in blood. But then the fighting would start again."

His voice trailed off as he noticed that she was looking at something behind him before she turned her gaze back to him. Before he could ask her about it she said, "That sounds horrible, but why are you dreaming about it now after all of this time?"

He took a drink as he thought. She wasn't going to like the answer. "I think hearing that we're having twins was what did it."

Her eyes widened as she dropped her fork, "Well, it's not like I'm too keen on the idea either."

He grabbed her hands, "It's not that I don't want them! I do! It's killing me because I want them both so much, but having them scares me so much, too."

"You're not making much sense!" Lina said.

"It's just, well, as my grandmother said, history repeats itself. That's why you have to study it."

Her eyes narrowed, "But you didn't study it."

He nodded, "The present was always scary enough. I didn't want to see the future."

She shuddered, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"The feud in my family started with twins."

"Huh?" Lina asked.

"My grandmother had twins, and no one knew if my father or uncle was older. Each of them wanted the sword and the power that came with owning it and so they started fighting over it."

"I don't understand though. If the sword is going to whoever is the oldest, than wouldn't that mean it goes to Lucia?"

"Because the oldest isn't always the best one for it."

"What? Are you going to choose who gets it based on criteria?" she asked as she ate some garlic bread.

"I just think that's there's more to consider than who is the oldest." Gourry explained as he tossed the bone on his plate and picked up another drumstick, noting that once again her eyes flickered briefly to something behind him before she asked.

"Such as?"

"Well, whoever is good with a sword for one thing."

"Well, then shouldn't that be the simple solution? Whoever is the best with a sword gets it?"

"What if two of them are equally good? Or what if one wants to run experiments on it like you do? Or what if they just crave the power that comes with the sword? My uncle was a horrible swordsman. It didn't stop him from killing to get the Sword of Light."

"Okay, point." Lina said as she finished her garlic bread, "Then how would you choose in those situations?"

Gourry thought for a minute, "Whoever wouldn't let their lust for power and possession get in the way of their family."

"Huh?"

Gourry took a bit of chicken and chewed slowly, knowing how bad what he said next was going to sound, "The reason I stole the Sword of Light was because I thought that anyone who would kill their kin for a sword and power didn't deserve to have it. I was one of the few people in my family who thought that way, though."

Lina's eyes widened, "Gourry…"

Softly he continued, "So the best one to get the Blast Sword really would be the one who doesn't want power. But what if one of our other children really wants it?"

"You don't think our children will kill each other to get the sword, do you?" she exclaimed.

He lowered his gaze as she said, "That's crazy! We're going to raise our kids to know better!"

"I hope so." He replied, "But since I was a child I've seen how power can corrupt and tear a family apart. It's just hard to see it not happening…"

He stopped talking as her eyes left his to focus on something behind him. He cocked his head at her quizzically before turning to look himself. All he saw was the other patrons of the restaurant, a few harried waitresses, an old cuckoo clock on the wall, and a window looking out into the well kept city streets. He turned when he realized she was speaking, "Well, it's different this time!" Lina pointed out. "The twins will be younger than Lucia and if they start fighting over it I'll smack them on the head and tell them to knock it off! I can be pretty fearsome you know!"

He smiled, "I just wish we had more that we could give the other two."

Lina sighed. "I know what you mean. It had to be done, but I wish that somehow I'd been able to get through that last battle with Shabranigdo with my Demon's Blood Amulets intact."

"That would make it easier, having something to give each of them. Though in my family it probably wouldn't have mattered. If it was a powerful object then my father and my uncle would have wanted all three."

Lina felt alarmed at the turn his thoughts were taking. "Do you really think that our children will be so selfish?"

"No! Not in my head at least." Gourry said, "But my bones are telling me something different. Growing up I learned to never let my guard down. Just when I thought it was safe to, someone was there to take advantage of it."

"Wow, no wonder you're so alert."

"How did the food turn out?" a waitress asked, causing both of them to snap their heads up and give the customary compliment as she refilled their drinks and left.

"I think that's it." He resumed, "Things have been calm for too long."

"Huh?" Lina asked.

"Well, growing up a period of calm always preceded a storm. And there was always something dangerous happening when we were living on the road. I'm not used to year after year of quiet like this, no fighting whether it's from family members or from monsters and…Lina, why do you keep looking behind me?"

"It's nothing." She said quickly as he looked at her skeptically. "And yes, I was listening to every word you were saying. I guess it makes sense. It's been five years since we settled down. I guess it still takes time to fully adjust."

"It frustrates me that I even have to adjust! This is what I've always wanted after all, what I'd always dreamt of."

"Well, it's like what Sylphiel says. We never fully recover from our childhoods."

"Sylphiel says that?" He asked as Lina nodded. "What does it mean?"

"Oh, we'll be here all night if I explain that!" Lina groused as a waitress came up.

"Is there anything more I can get for you?" she asked.

"Hell yeah! I'm eating for three!" Lina said as she ordered some extra food. The waitress went off and Lina focused her attention on Gourry again. "Anyway, I guess it makes sense why you're so anxious. But just keep reminding yourself that there's no reason to be. Things are different now from when they were when you were a kid, namely you have me and I'm not going to let…"

A reddish tint colored her face as she squeezed her eyes shut and her hands gripped the edge of the table. "Lina!" Gourry cried as he stood up.

"I'm…" she took a deep breath, "I think we have to go back to the palace." She said as her skin returned to its normal color.

Gourry signaled to the waitress, "Change of plan, check please!" While she went off, he directed his attention back to his wife, "What's wrong?"

"I think I'm having contractions. That's why I keep looking at the clock behind you. And they're getting stronger and closer." She said.

"What does that mean?"

"That the twins are ready to make their appearance!"

Gourry's eyes widened, "But, it's too soon, isn't it? You're only seven months."

"I know!" Lina shouted as the waitress left their check on the table, "That's why we need to go back…"

Once again her face turned red as she grabbed his hand. His alarm grew as she slowly crushed his hand as she struggled to breath. Finally she relaxed. Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she glanced at the check, took out some money, placed it on the table and stood up. "We've got to hurry."

* * *

Life has a way of making you regret your wishes, Lina considered as they walked to the palace. She had been hoping for a quick, speedy delivery this time around, unlike the prolonged one she had had with Lucia. What she didn't anticipate was that it might happen two months too soon!

The contractions were building with a rapidity that terrified her. When they had started back to the palace she was still able to walk through them. By the time they had passed the gates she found herself crouching by a statue as she struggled with the pain while Gourry rubbed her back. She was dimly aware of the guards coming to ask if she was all right, and of Gourry asking one to go and get Sylphiel. They met her on their way to their apartments as Lina was gripping a banister in the throes of yet another contraction.

Sylphiel put a hand on her shoulder and waited for it to pass before asking, "Has your water broken?"

"I don't think so." Lina said as she wondered why Sylphiel was pulling her in a direction that was not where their apartment was.

"Good." She said, "We've got to get you to the temple. I've already sent word for them to get a room prepared."

"Temple?" Lina asked as Gourry followed them.

Sylphiel nodded, "Yes, we're going to have to stop the progression of labor, but to do that we'll need to place you within a special magic circle."

"If you say so." Lina said.

It was a relief when they finally made it to the temple. The healers directed her to a small room in the back with a bed in the center of a magic symbol that she was unfamiliar with. "Sit on the bed." Sylphiel instructed.

Lina did as requested, and then grabbed Gourry's hand as she felt the familiar pressure build around her stomach start as Sylphiel began to chant a spell. Instantly it vanished, and Lina relaxed. "It's over."

Sylphiel smiled. "Do you mind if I check on the babies?"

Lina shook her head as she lifted her shirt. Sylphiel put her hands on her abdomen, "Both are fine." She reported.

"Good. So, how long until I can go home?" Lina asked.

Sylphiel looked at her steadily, "Your labor is only stopped for as long as you remain within this circle."

"What?" Lina said, her voice low.

"If you leave this circle, even for a second, the contractions will start again. And you would risk having your water broken. And if that happens then we would have to let the labor progress, even if it is too early. So until we get to a point where it will be safe to deliver them, or, and hopefully this doesn't happen, one or both of them becomes distressed, you will have to stay here."

"But…but…" Lina stammered, "But I have a toddler! And things to do! I can't stay in a bed for the next two months! I'll go crazy!"

"Is there really no way?" Gourry asked.

"I'm afraid not. If you want to give these babies their best chance, then you'll have to stay right here."

Lina leaned back against the bed as her resentment bubbled and spat. "It's because it's twins, isn't it? If I was just having one like I should it wouldn't even be an issue."

"There's no way to know that." Sylphiel said. "Why don't I give you two some time? I'll let Zel and Amelia know what is happening."

"Could you ask if they mind keeping Lucia with them until we get this worked out?" Gourry asked.

"Of course."

"What are we going to do?" Gourry asked as Sylphiel left.

Lina took a deep breath. "Well, Mom should be here any day. I think Phil will understand if you need to take a few days off to take care of Lucia until then. And I'm going to need you to go and get the research I brought with me. Might as well polish off a few papers for the guild while I'm stuck here. I may be out for the next few months, but I can still turn a profit!"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Just let me know what I can do to make this easier."

She nodded. "Hey Gourry?"

"What?"

"Doesn't this make you wish for the days when we were fighting mazoku?"

He smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. "No. I'll go get your research."


	3. Chapter 3

"Go, Mommy!" Lucia said as she tugged on Lina's hand.

Lina smiled tiredly, "I'd love to, but I'm stuck here until the babies come, kiddo."

They had tried to explain the situation to her, but they had yet to be successful. And Lina was used to explaining things so that Gourry could understand!

"When will they get here?" Lucia asked.

"You know how your birthday is coming up?" Lina said, and Lucia's eyes lit up at the mention of it. "It will be a little bit after your birthday."

Lucia's eyes widened, "That's a long time!"

Lina stroked her soft purple hair, "I know."

"Why can't they come now?"

"They're too small. They have to get bigger." Lina explained.

"How big?"

"About as big as your dolly." Lina said as she rested a hand on her belly.

"How big are they now?"

Lina shook her head in irritation, "Smaller than your dolly."

Gourry, sensing that Lina was getting tired of answering questions, said, "Hey sweetie, do you want to practice your light spell while Mommy can help?"

"Oh yeah!" she said as she started working on the chant with feedback from Lina. Eventually she yelled, "Lighting!"

Lina nearly toppled over as a small orb of light formed between her tiny hands. "You did it!" Lina exclaimed.

Lucia beamed proudly, "Daddy, look!"

"I see!" Gourry said, "Wow, you're going to be quite the sorceress one day, just like Mommy."

"I'm impressed. I was four or five when I first cast mine, and that was considered prodigal." Lina said as Lucia played with the ball of light between her hands.

"So is she a powerful sorceress?"

Lina shrugged, "It's too early to say. And a light spell is the only thing I'm teaching her right now."

From the courtyard Lina heard the tolling of the bells marking the arrival of Lucia's bedtime. Lina smiled sadly, "Okay, kiddo. Choose a book, any book."

Lucia walked over to the bag Gourry had brought with them, light spell trailing behind her and pulled out one and attempted to sit on Lina's lap. "Sorry, kiddo, it's getting crowded." Lina said as she directed Lucia to sit beside her instead and wrapped an arm around her.

Lucia pouted slightly but said nothing as Lina read to her. It was when Lina finished reading and Gourry picked her up to take her back to their room that the trouble started. Lucia stiffened flat as a board, making it difficult to get a good hold on her as she threw her head back and screamed, "No! I want to stay with Mommy!"

Lina felt her heart seize. She was alarmed as guilt swept through her. "Mommy has to stay here." Lina explained, "And you have to go to bed."

"No!" Lucia cried, really cried as tears streamed down her cheeks, arms and legs flailing.

Gourry got a good grip on her, "We'll see Mommy tomorrow."

He gave Lina a small smile and then whisked her out of the room, kicking and screaming. Lina was trembling when they left. Stay in bed for two months. Nothing should be easier than staying in bed for two months. But in reality it was exceedingly difficult.

Her feelings of anger and distress upset the twins, and they responded with a flurry of activity that was downright painful. Lina laid back on the bed and fought the urge to cry. She had only been bedbound for one week and it had been hell. She was feeling restless. She could walk only as far as the edge of the magic circle, and that was only a few feet around the perimeter of the bed. She felt as though she was going to dig a rut around the bed pacing it as much as she did.

And her back hurt, and staying still didn't help at all. But to top it off was that Lucia was having a difficult time adjusting. She couldn't understand why she couldn't leave and take care of her. And it was breaking her heart. The twins weren't even there yet and already Lina's ability to provide the one on one care to Lucia that she was used to was upset.

"Lina?"

Her eyes widened as she sat up in bed, "Mom? When did you get in?"

"Just now. I ran into Amelia in the courtyard and she told me you were here." Mrs. Inverse said as she hugged her as sat beside her.

Lina took a deep breath and did her best to keep her tone casual. "You mean you saw me before you saw your granddaughter?"

"You're still my baby, too. And you're the one in the temple. How are you?"

"Fine." Lina said a bit too quickly.

Mrs. Inverse stared her down. "Miserable." Lina finally corrected.

Mrs. Inverse wrapped an arm around her, "Just think. It's only two months out of thousands of months you'll have in your life."

* * *

Of all of the things to miss, this was the hardest. Lucia's third birthday party was going on full swing in their apartments. And Lina was stuck in the temple. The twins kicked within her, and she wanted to kick them right back. Resentment flowed through her. If it wasn't for the fact that she was having them, then she could enjoy her daughter's birthday. Something that a mother should be able to do.

Sure, Gourry would likely come down after it was over with cake. And she'd already had Gourry take a few presents to her room the previous night so Lina could give them to her when he brought Lucia with him. But it wasn't the same as actually being there.

She stared up at the ceiling and stretched and tried to ignore the war raging within her tummy. She'd already tried reading and focusing on some research, but it did little to quell her nebulous mood, nor did it take her mind off the party. A healer poked his head in to check on her and Lina nearly bit it off.

She glanced at the clock. Time moved agonizingly slow. Her two months was now one and a half months, but it might as well have been eons. She drummed her fingers on her stomach. There was nothing actually keeping her in the room she reasoned. Would there really be any harm in joining the party for an hour and having Sylphiel cast another spell to stop her labor? Of course it would mean battling contractions during the party, but at least she would be there.

Surely one hour would be safe. Her water hadn't broken with Lucia until she started transitioning. Surely everything would be fine.

She looked out the door and felt a deep yearning in her heart. Slowly she got up and crept towards the edge of the magic circle. She took a deep breath as she stared at the door. The desire to walk to it and out of it was overwhelming.

She looked away. As much as she resented the fact that she was having twins she knew that if anything happened to them because she didn't do her best then she would never be able to forgive herself. And Gourry would be devastated. One of the twins aimed a punch into her lungs, winding her.

"Alright." She groused as she made it back to the bed, "But you two had better appreciate this one day and never give me any trouble!"

* * *

"I've just been so bored!" Lina complained as she moved her rook.

"Check." Zel said. He'd been on Lina Duty (so called in the presence of everyone who was not her) for the past three hours. He had things to do, but every time he made noises to do so she guilt tripped him into staying for another round of chess.

"Damn." Lina swore as she looked at the board. "All those years of playing with Amelia sure have paid off for you."

"Your move." He said noncommittally.

"Yes, yes. So, have you beaten her in a game yet?

"No one beats Amelia in chess." Zel said, "And it's still your…Are you okay?"

Lina's face had scrunched up inscrutably as she put her hands to her stomach. "It's nothing. They're just having a major battle in there or something. By the time this is over my tummy is going to be one big bruise!"

He gave her a sympathetic smile as he asked, "How much longer do you have? A month?"

Lina sighed. "One whole long month." She shook her head as she moved her bishop. "So, what's going on in the outside world?"

"I know it's bad if you're referring to Seyruun as the outside world." Zel said as he contemplated the board. "The magic school is going great. Only the person I started it for is showing no inclination in it."

"Benny?" Lina asked, "Well, he's still young."

"Says the woman whose daughter who just turned three trails a light spell behind her wherever she goes."

"Well, Benny is not from a family of powerful sorcerers." Lina countered.

"That's what concerns me. What if he doesn't have any magical capacity?" Zel said as he moved a pawn.

"Well, so what if he doesn't? I mean you have plenty of other things you do together."

"True." Zel said. "I'd just like magic to be one of those things."

"Kids are going to do what kids are going to do." Lina said as she moved her knight. "And they're going to be who they're going to be."

"Hmm." Zel said, "Checkmate."

* * *

Her eyes shot open as the remnants of the dream faded. The twins kicked and punched vigorously within her as she took a deep breath. She sat up slowly as she looked about the room. It was difficult to shake the feeling of danger and believe that she was safe.

"Lighting!"

She scanned the room for any trace of what might be hiding in the shadows. Of course, if Xellos really did want to harm her children like he had in the dream, he could very well be lurking on the astral plane.

Lina shook her head and told herself that she was being silly. To see humans as a threat was a sign of weakness for mazoku. The likelihood that they would preemptively strike against her children was nil. But still, she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched.

She desperately wanted to talk to someone. But it was the dead of night and the only person within shouting distance was the healer on night duty. And Lina didn't know her well. And she didn't want to trouble her with her silly fears.

The hair on the back of her neck started to prickle as the feeling of being watched intensified. She got up and walked to the edge of the circle, walking slowly along the line as she hunted for anything out of the ordinary.

"Everything okay?"

Lina cried out as she jumped and spun around. Or at least she intended to spin around. But the combination of being unusually bulky and having been sedentary for a month had made her clumsy. She found herself tumbling. In a second the healer was there, helping her up, "I'm sorry Mrs. Gabriev, I didn't mean to startle you. I just noticed your light spell."

"Don't worry about it." Lina said, as embarrassment coursed through her.

"Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No, just…" her voice trailed off as her stomach started to tighten. Fear rose through her as she recognized the deceptively pleasant build up that rapidly surged through the boundary between pleasure and pain as it gripped her body.

She cried out as she clutched her abdomen and the healer touched her arm. "Looks like you stepped outside of the barrier when you fell."

"No shit!" Lina snapped as the contraction subsided.

"Why don't you sit on the bed and we'll get it shut down again."

Lina nodded, and then froze as something warm and wet started trickling down her leg. "Oh no." she breathed.

"Mrs. Gabriev?"

Lina clenched her pelvic muscles like she would if she were stopping the flow of urine. It did no good. It kept coming out, gushing out embarrassingly. "My water broke."

The healer looked down as Lina asked, "Can we stop it?"

The healer shook her head, "It's too late. They're going to have to come out now."

Panic flared through Lina, "But I've still got another month to go!"

"There are things we can do. It's early but they still have a good chance."

Lina shook her head in disbelief. This could not be happening! After spending a miserable month in a bed to get them to term she could not go into labor a month early and lose them! "Get Sylphiel down here!"

"She's going to tell you the same…"

"Just get her down here!" Lina snarled as another contraction started to build, "And my husband, and…"

"Breath." The healer told her, and Lina waved her away irritably.

"Go!" she grunted.

* * *

"What happened?" Gourry asked as he ran into the room, still dressed in his nightclothes.

"I'm sorry." Lina said quietly as she sat on the edge of the bed. While she wanted to go back to her apartments, the healer had said that as the twins would be premature it would be safer for Lina to have them in the temple.

Gourry touched her shoulder as her lower lip trembled. "I fell." She said, "I didn't mean to, but I guess I landed out of the ward and…"

Her voice trailed off as her face went red. He wrapped an arm around her as tears leaked from her eyes. She grabbed his arm and squeezed hard as he comforted her through the contraction. At last she relaxed. "What if something goes wrong? It will be my fault."

"Stop that." He said, "You've been amazing enduring this for as long as you have already."

"None of that means a damn if they aren't born healthy!"

"They're going to be fine!" Gourry said.

"We're going to do everything we can for them." Sylphiel said as she entered the room. "And you got them to a point where their odds are much better."

"You can do this, Miss Lina!" Amelia added as she followed Sylphiel in.

And as her next contradiction built, Lina was reminded of the fact that she had no other choice but to do it. It was too early, but her body was not aware of that. It had already taken control, forcing the hard work of delivering the twins upon her. Her first labor had been long and slow. This one proved to be anything but. Within the hour after falling out of the ward she was transitioning, and then pushing. Gourry and Amelia supported her in a squat as Sylphiel worked to guide the infant out as it crowned. But unlike last time the delivery of one did not mean it was over. There was still another one to get out.

The feeling of compression rose and Lina grunted with the effort of forcing it out. She felt it slide from her and she leaned back onto Gourry. Right away she realized that something wasn't right. Why weren't they putting it on her chest? And something else was wrong too. She lifted her head up as it hit her, "Why isn't he crying?"

Sylphiel started chanting a spell as she held the smallest baby Lina had ever seen. But what truly alarmed Lina was the shade of blue that tinted its lifeless body. Shakily she stood up, supported by Gourry and Amelia.

"What is she doing?" Gourry asked.

"I think she's casting some sort of modified wind spell to force air into his lungs." Lina explained as guilt surged through her. She hadn't wanted twins. She was mad that she was having twins. Had she really accidentally fell? Had some part of her wanted to do this, to prevent her from caring for two babies?

Finally it sputtered and coughed, followed by an ear piercing cry. Lina felt a well of tears erupt as Sylphiel breathed a sigh of relief. "Congratulations. You now have a son."

She handed him to Lina. "Let's get you two to bed."

Lina nodded as she sat down. "He's still not breathing right." Gourry pointed out.

Sylphiel nodded as she placed a blanket over them to keep them warm, "We're going to have to watch him closely. His color still isn't too good and his vitals are irregular."

Lina reached out to stroke the soft sprawl of pale red hair that covered his head. "What do we need to do?" she asked.

"Right now I need to check you out, see how the second one is doing." Sylphiel said, "And I believe Mr. Gourry needs to cut the cord."

Gourry nodded and unsheathed the Blast Sword. Some might say it was a little overkill for cord cutting, but for generations his family had used the Sword of Light for that purpose and now the family he had created would use the Blast Sword. "He's so small." Gourry commented after he had sheathed the blade as he touched his back while Sylphiel felt along Lina's abdomen. "Will he break if I hold him?" he wondered out loud.

"I bet he's stronger than he looks, just like your wife." Amelia said encouragingly.

Lina wasn't feeling very strong as she struggled to help the baby latch on to nurse. Eventually he latched, but had a difficult time suckling. Fear welled within her as she wondered what problems the second one would encounter. Sylphiel's next words did little to quiet her anxiety, "It looks like the second one is breech."

"Breech?" Gourry asked.

"It's going to come out bottom first." Sylphiel explained.

Inwardly Lina groaned. Head first was bad enough. Butt first sounded even worse. And she knew enough to know it was more risky as Sylphiel put a hand on Gourry's arm, "It's nothing I can't handle."

"How long until contractions start again?" Lina asked.

"Could be any minute, could be thirty." Sylphiel explained.

"Why is his arm shaking like that?" Gourry asked.

Sylphiel's eyes widened as she examined the boy. "Is that a seizure?" Amelia asked.

The boy's color worsened as he stopped breathing. Sylphiel grabbed him as his body started to convulse, "I'll be right back." She said hurriedly as she ran out of the room and yelled something to the other healers about some magical herbs she needed.

Gourry felt torn as he watched Sylphiel run out of the room with his son. In one room his son needed him and might be dying. And here Lina and the second baby also needed him. And he could only be in one place at once! "Go!" Lina commanded.

"Will you be…"

"Go!" she cried, "I want one of us to be with him!"

A grim feeling captured him as he squeezed her hand and then followed Sylphiel out. Lina burst into tears as soon as he was out the door, wishing she could go with him. Amelia squeezed her shoulder. "It will be all right, Miss Lina." Amelia consoled, "He has the best healer in the…"

"Shut up!" Lina spat, "It means nothing when I can't even stay in a damn ward for two months!"

"Stop being so hard on yourself!" Amelia said.

"But it's my fault!" Lina protested, "I didn't want a third one!"

"That doesn't mean you did this!" Amelia said.

"But I did! I fell out of the ward."

"This isn't like you!" Amelia said.

"I know." Lina said, "I used to do the impossible. Now I can't even…I feel like a failure!"

She stopped as she put a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. Amelia wrapped her arms around her as she buried her face into her shoulder and cried.

* * *

Gourry didn't understand any of what was happening. Sylphiel and the other healers crowded around his son, shielding him from view as they barked orders at each other. Unfortunately they were the only ones making noise. His son was ominously silent.

He stood there immobile, paralyzed by fear. What could he do? There was nothing he could do! Helplessness overwhelmed him as the situation seemed to lose its reality.

And then a sharp cry rang through the air. Sylphiel and the other healers cheered as Gourry erupted into tears. They said a few more things to each other that he didn't quite catch, and then Sylphiel, smiling tiredly, walked towards him and handed his son to him.

Gourry cradled him, and felt his amazement grow as he watched him throw his little fist in the air and the blue tint to his skin started to fade. "Will he be okay?" Gourry asked.

"Let's get you two back to your wife. She's probably worried sick."

Gourry nodded as they started to walk back to Lina's room. "But will he be okay?"

Her answer was not comforting. "He's not out of the woods yet." Sylphiel said.

Gourry stared at him. He was undoubtedly the smallest baby he had ever seen. And his breathing was still difficult. And, he considered, the right side of his body was limp, a major contrast to how animated his left side was. A lump formed in his throat, followed by gooseflesh as he heard Lina scream from her room.

He and Sylphiel ran, and in an instant he was back by her side. Her eyes were closed in pain as she sat chest to knees on the edge of the bed, receiving instructions from Amelia. He sat so that he was beside her as Sylphiel moved close to Amelia to observe what was happening. He put an arm around her as she relaxed and opened her eyes and looked at them.

"He's alive!" she breathed as she reached out to touch him, "I was so sure he was dead."

Gourry squeezed her to him and kissed her forehead. At that moment, she didn't need to know about the damage he had suffered. "Remind me to always listen to you and your instincts." He said gently.

"Miss Lina," Sylphiel said calmly, "You're going to need to listen carefully and follow my instructions perfectly because we're going to need to get the legs out with the next push."

Lina nodded as she grabbed Gourry's knee and squeezed it tightly as the next contraction built. Tears spilt down her face as Sylphiel maneuvered the legs out, and then the shoulders. Finally Lina felt the infant slide out from her and she relaxed onto the bed. "Never again." She breathed, "Never, for as long as I live, never!"

Sylphiel brought the baby up to Lina's chest, just as she let out a beautiful wail. Lina's eyes opened, "She's crying!" she said in relief.

"She's looking good." Amelia commented, "She's a bit bigger than the boy, and her color is good."

"Put him on Miss Lina's chest." Sylphiel instructed.

Gourry was reluctant to let him go, but he realized that it was likely where he needed to be. "How come she's so healthy as he isn't?" he asked.

"Sometimes that happens with multiples." Sylphiel explained, "And boys tend to be born with more complications."

"She's completely bald." Lina said.

"I think she has Mr. Gourry's eyes." Amelia said as Gourry cut the cord.

Lina turned her attention to the boy, "He's still not breathing right. What happened?"

"He had a seizure." Sylphiel explained.

"What's that?" Gourry asked.

"It's when the body starts trembling. We're not sure what happens exactly, but it seems like something goes wrong in the brain. It's why he stopped breathing. And I'm afraid there might be brain damage."

Lina's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Look at his left side. It's limp compared to his right."

Lina gazed down at him and felt the urge to cry again. She battled it down as she asked, "What does this mean?"

"It's too soon to say. He could recover completely, or he may never walk. There are things that we can do, exercises that can help. But there are no guarantees."

The news chilled Lina to the core as the boy, frustrated with not being able to get as much food as he would like, screamed vigorously. Meanwhile, his twin latched on and started suckling fiercely. She stared at the boy and wondered if he would be forever damaged because of her carelessness. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that Sylphiel said he could make a complete recovery. At that moment she just wished she knew which way he would go. The anxiety of not knowing which was painful.

A silence fell across the room as Gourry rubbed her arm. "How long until we can bring them home?" he asked.

"When they're strong enough." Sylphiel said.

"What do we need to do to help him?" Lina asked.

"Once the placentas are out, we'll get you healed and the twins bathed." Sylphiel said calmly. "And then we're going to wrap them to your chest. Continuous skin to skin contact is very healing, and it will help the boy breath and nurse better and will help keep them warm. And when you need a break, we can strap them to Mr. Gourry for a while."

Lina nodded as she stroked her son, resolving that if she needed to stay in the room for an entire year that she would if it meant he would be healthy and whole.

* * *

Lucia bounded into the room ahead of her grandmother, trailing a ball of light behind her. She stopped in her tracks as she noted the infants strapped to her mother's chest. "Hey, sweetie!" Gourry said as he picked her up and kissed her on the forehead. "Are you ready to meet your little brother and sister?"

Lucia leaned forward towards her mother as Mrs. Inverse entered the room, "Oh, Lina." She breathed.

"Do you want to say 'hi' to Mommy?" Gourry asked. Lucia outstretched her arms towards Lina.

Gourry sat her on the bed as Mrs. Inverse came closer, "Can I hold one?"

Lina handed the girl to her, "She's been doing better. She's small but she's breathing well."

Mrs. Inverse blinked tears from her eyes as she cradled her, "What are you calling them?"

"That one is Gwynn. We're calling the boy Glynn." Lina explained as Lucia peered at her brother.

"That's so cute!" Mrs. Inverse said, "What perfect twin names."

"Yeah, I'm glad someone in here has some taste." Lina said pointedly to Amelia.

"All I said was that it might get confusing!" Amelia defended.

"What's wrong with Glynn?" Mrs. Inverse asked as she stroked his back.

"He's not breathing right, and his heart beat is odd. He is also having problems latching." Lina said quietly as she hoped her mother didn't ask her why.

"It's strange." Gourry said quietly.

"What?"

"That she's so healthy and he's struggling."

"I wouldn't read too much into it. Sometimes it just happens that way." Sylphiel reminded him.

But Gourry could not help the feeling that in the fight for resources in the womb, Gwynn had come out the victor, taking more than her fair share from her brother. He realized how stupid the thought was as he looked at her, sleeping peacefully. If that had been the case surely she hadn't done it on purpose.

"So, Lucia, what do you think?" Lina asked.

"When are you coming home?" she answered.

Lina smiled tiredly as she stroked her fine purple hair. "It's going to be awhile, sweetie."

"Then I'm staying here!" she announced as she curled up next to her mother and wrapped an arm around her possessively.

Lina felt a slight tugging at her heartstrings. Eventually Mrs. Inverse would have to leave with her. And Lina knew that moment would be fraught with tantrums and tears. This wasn't how she thought it would be, wasn't how she had wanted it to be. Being apart from Lucia tore her to pieces. But for now it was enough that everyone was alive.

* * *

Gourry woke up when something alerted him to the fact that something had changed. He looked down to see Gwynn nestled contentedly with him. He then glanced over to the bed, where Lina was sleeping with Glynn.

While Gwynn was healthy enough to not need continuous skin to skin contact, Glynn still struggled. Everything was a fight for him. Eating was challenging. Breathing a struggle. But like a trooper he fought. And as much as it saddened him that someone so young had to fight so hard, it was also a source of pride for him to see the little fellow give it his all.

In a flash Gourry realized what was different. Glynn was no longer struggling to breath! Slowly he walked over and smiled in relief as he noted that he was indeed breathing more normally. "That's my boy." He said as he patted him on the head.

Gwynn nestled her face to his chest, obviously rooting for a nipple before mewling in distress. Lina's eyes fluttered open, and she looked at Gourry startled to see him towering over her. "What is it?"

"I think she's hungry." He said as he handed Gwynn to her.

Lina put her on her breast and then turned her attention to Glynn, "Hey, his breathing…"

"I know!" he said excitedly.

"Keep it up, kiddo!" Lina encouraged, "We'll have you home in no time!"

* * *

Gourry studied the twins carefully. He had given Lina a much needed break and currently had Glynn strapped to his bare chest while he cradled Gwynn, who was nestled sweetly in the crook of his arm. He thought about what Sylphiel had said, that it was likely something about Glynn himself that was causing so many problems, and not the result of him being a twin. He stared at Gwynn, who had shown herself to be a rather sweet baby. She didn't demand food constantly like her older sister and twin did. And when she was hungry she would whimper quietly rather than scream incessantly. Other than that she seldom cried. And she certainly liked to snuggle.

Glynn had more of that fighting spirit. Though as Gourry was swift to conclude, he had to. He also had more of his mother's temper, getting frustrated when not fed, punching his twin when the mood took him. It was obvious now that whatever happened had caused his right side to be stronger than his left. He could still move his left hand and arms, but slowly and meekly. What terrified him was that Sylphiel said it was too soon to tell the full extent of the damage. And that it would be hard to say for sure whether or not he would have another seizure.

Suddenly worries about who would inherit the sword seemed rather distant and silly. There were far more pressing concerns to worry about.

Lina walked in, looking more relaxed than he had seen her in a while. "How are they?" she asked as she wrapped and arm around him.

"Same as when you left." He replied.

"Sylphiel said that we can probably take them home tomorrow."

He nodded. "How do you feel about that?"

"Happy. And scared out of my wits."

"Me too."

* * *

After two months, it was paradise to slip into her own bed in her own chambers. Gourry got in beside her. Of course, it wasn't as if they could snuggle together. She was still feeding the twins around the clock. But it was better than being in the temple.

"We finally got them home!" he beamed.

She nodded, "We got them this far, we can get them all the way."

She looked at Glynn, resolving that one way or another he would walk, and he would be strong. She wasn't going to let her mistake ruin him. They both turned as the door opened and light dazzled their eyes.

"Lucia?" Lina said.

"I want to sleep with you!" she said as she crawled onto their bed and over Gourry so she was smack dab in the middle.

Lina and Gourry exchanged a glance. Usually she would have sent her straight back to bed. But after spending the last two months devoting her energy to seeing that the twins survived, she just didn't have the heart to turn her away. "Well, just this once is okay."

Gourry rubbed Lucia's back. Sure, the bed was cramped with all five of them, but it was nice to be surrounded by his wife and children. "Gourry." Lina said.

"What?"

"Three is enough."

Gourry thought for a moment and nodded, "Agreed."

**AN: The practice of bundling premature infants to a parent is known as kangaroo care and is practiced successfully in parts of the world where access to incubators is limited.**

**My reason for writing this was predominately to set up for something I've been working on called ****_Slayers: Legacy!_**** One legendary sword, 3 children to choose between. Will Gourry see the fights in his family of origin replay between his children? Hopefully to be released sooner rather than later!**


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